Credit: The Associated Press

FOXBORO -- A warm reception for Roger Goodell at Gillette Stadium. Just what everyone expected, right?

The league commissioner was in attendance for Thursday night's preseason opener. And fans, a few of them at least, seemed to greet him warmly. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy tweeted a photo of Goodell during the game smiling with three grinning fans wearing Patriots jerseys.

The image comes as a stark contrast to what many people would expect from a fan base which has largely been upset with Goodell after he issued the Deflategate penalties against the Patriots.

It was the first time Goodell attended a game in Foxboro since the January 2015 AFC title game against the Colts, the game that touched off Deflategate.

Goodell will be back in Foxboro for the Pats' regular season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 7.